M19797 is a company that provides visitors with private walking tours and food tours of Hong Kong. All the walks are designed and personally led by Daisann McLane, editor and columnist for National Geographic Traveler and the 1997-2004 New York Times "Frugal Traveler". Her adventures are tailor-made to your interests, be they cultural, architectural, culinary or a combo of the above. They are designed for sophisticated travelers who want to get past the obvious tourist attractions and enjoy a taste of the real Hong Kong.

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Questions and Answers

We provide private, personal, tailor made food and walking tours of Hong Kong to select groups of 1-4 people.

1. How long has the business been operating and how did it start?

We started our business in 2009.

2. What is your company's mission?

Our motto is: Eat...walk...drink..explore the real Hong Kong. We aim to give our clients an experience of the authentic city.

3. What does your company specialize in?

Private walking, cultural and food tours of Hong Kong for small groups of 1-4 persons.

4. Who is the founder or owner of the company and briefly describe his/her past activities?

Founder Daisann McLane is a columnist and contributing editor for National Geo Traveler magazine, a 3 time winner of the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist award, a former travel columnist for the New York Times.

5. What is your most popular travel package and why?

Our "Central and Sheung Wan" walk combines culture, backstreets and local food; our most popular combo pairs this tour with an hour guided dim sum lunch at a Chinese-language dominant restaurant inaccessible to people who don't speak the language.

6. What is the best compliment you received from a client?

What makes us most happy is that our clients are return year after year to take our tours a second and even a third time! We also are proud that more than 1,800 fans of M19797 have joined our family through our page on Facebook.

Reviews and Comments

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1

Daisann McLane / Daisann McLane reply to Cynthia Tieu review

I'm very shocked to read this response from Ms. Tieu.

Although her family's tour was only supposed to be 3 h, I went over our time limit & spent nearly 4 and a half hours taking them around the little-known eastern Hong Kong. I did this out of respect, since they were traveling with her mother, who is in her 60s.

I spent the extra time in spite of the fact that Ms. Tieu, upon meeting me for the tour, immediately asked me for a $100 discount from our pre-arranged price. Not
... view more wanting to start the tour on an awkward note, and since her family was present, I agreed to her request without comment.

Ms. Tieu and her mother, incidentally, are not native Cantonese speakers-they explained to me that they are from California and speak the Teochow dialect. Their Cantonese, learned in US being heavily accented.

I guess they must also have problems understanding the Hong Kong accent, since the noodle shop owner never said anything about my "taking a commission." (Why in the world would I be taking commissions on $2.85 bowls of noodles?) The owner always jokes with me & treats me kindly because I am the only non-Chinese regular customer. I am his regular customer, by the way, because his food is terrific. Ms. Tieu & her family also seemed to think so too, since they finished every last bite.

The noodle shop is in a remote part of Hong Kong, but known among locals as the best of its kind. Ms. Tieu told me this place was new to her, as indeed were all the other places that I took them to. In fact, before she even arrived in Hong Kong I went back & forth with her and designed a personal itinerary for her, which she approved in advance.

My biggest surprise in this unfortunate matter is that Ms. Tieu did not communicate her dissatisfaction to me, either in person during the tour, or afterwards. I make a policy of returning money to customers who are not satisfied, and I will be pleased to refund Ms. Tieu her money if she will send me her payment details.

Thank you.

2

Cynthia Tieu / Not as advertised

I booked a tour with Daisann with my mom and husband because she advertised she would be able to take us to little hidden paths and sample the best non-touristy Hong Kong foods with the ease of someone knowing how to speak and read the language.

I speak some Cantanese but do not read as well and wanted the convenience of having someone who can, but she admits that she`s barely perfectly and her reading skills as well and I`ve experienced it in person, I wasn`t impressed, her enunciation was all
... view more wrong. As far as her speaking abilities well, lets just say that my mother couldn`t understand her. I am impressed that she `speaks Cantonese`, but there is still a very strong accent.

When we went into a dessert shop, the waitress could not read, so when we pointed to what we wanted on the menu, the waitress told me to read to her what I wanted, because she couldn`t understand what Daisann was saying. When we went to eat at a noodle store, the owner said \"don`t worry, she\'ll order for you, we pay her to advertise for us\". I was so upset because she was suppose to take us to places that was worth trying in Hong Kong, not some place that would was paying her to bring them customers.

This tour was the worst I`ve taken as far as it being a waist of money. She did not take us to any place that we hadn`t seen or heard of before, or that we couldn`t have gone to our selves. It cost us $100 per person for three hours (most was of traveling time that we also had to pay for ferry and bus), plus we had to cover our own food--at that price, she should have at least covered the food which was really cheap ($20 for three people), especially since she received commission!

Bottom line if you speak the language, don`t even look at this tour. If you don`t speak the language, try to find a native Hong Kong tour guide.

3

Peter Vinelli / A Friend in Hong Kong

Having Daisann as a tour guide, is like having one of your best friends living in Hong Kong and showing you around the city. She has a real passion and love for her adopted city. Also, her food tour of Hong Kong is not to be missed (WARNING - Come hungry!) A real treat!!!